Opinion: Virtual School Rejection was the Right Decision

There are times when the New Jersey Department of Education gets it right. The rejection of the Garden State Virtual Charter School’s application was one such golden moment.

Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said that the application was denied earlier this month “because of deficiencies identified during … the process.”

Those favoring a rejection of the statewide K-12 virtual charter (with a Teaneck drop-in center) cited costs, a projected $15.37 million from Teaneck’s school budget for a school educating less than 1 percent of Teaneck’s students.

According to one of Garden State Virtual’s founders, Jason Flynn, his charter would likely have drawn most of its students from Paterson and Newark.

The draw of students from Newark was improbable, however, as New Jersey Virtual Academy (in Newark) was approved in January 2011. With the approval for 1,200 students, New Jersey Virtual is slated to serve a similar demographic.